This invention relates to a synthetic resin wheel cover with integrally formed mounting means for mounting the cover on a vehicle wheel.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,093,312 discloses vehicle wheel covers having mounting means which include spring means formed separately from the cover and provided on the outer periphery of the covers, the spring means being adapted to resiliently and firmly engage with a tire receiving rim so as to fixedly mount the cover on the wheel. However, since great force is imposed on the spring means when the cover is mounted on the wheel, it is required to make the rigidity of the outer periphery of the cover supporting the spring means great which thereby limits the freedom of design of the covers. Further, such spring means tends to damage the rim whereby the damaged portions will get rusty, and further to cause injury to a person mounting the cover on the wheel. Furthermore, such spring means can not prefectly prevent the cover from being rotated relative to the wheel by the torque imposed on the cover during running of the vehicle.
Japanese Utility Model Public Disclosure No. 53-160138 discloses another type of mounting means for a wheel cover. This mounting means consists of synthetic resin cylindrical projections provided on the rear surface of the cover, which are adapted to receive and firmly grasp nuts which are used to fasten the vehicle wheel and are positioned on the outer surface of the wheel around the hub of the same, whereby the cover is fixedly mounted on the wheel without rotation thereof. However, such covers are limited to half size covers covering only the radially inner half portion of the wheel, because these covers do not have means for fastening the outer periphery of the cover to the rim.